She's waiting until she can get it together, so she can share the news with Mason from a strong place. But what if she can't ever get there? That's terrifying.

So AJ Langer just told me over the phone, summing up her character's state of mind on Private Practice these days and responding to viewers who have criticized Erica for not telling Mason about her brain cancer.

"She's doing her best with everything she has," the actress said, explaining how she's spoken to friends and relatives that have suffered through the disease and how she's done extensive research online. "When you're talking to somebody really going through this, it doesn't take long to feel the empathy you need to get under their skin for a moment." Read More...